A FORMER Highland League Club official, accused of stalking a woman, is facing further charges of twice flouting a court ban not to contact her.
The instruction was a special condition of bail granted last yer to Colin Stewart, then Wick Academy chairman, after he denied stalking Elaine Gray.
But at Wick Sheriff Court yesterday, it was alleged he had breached the condition on January 3, this year by attempting to call her on his mobile telephone and again failing to comply with the order, by sending her a text message at her work in the Highland Council offices in Girnigoe Street, Wick, on April 16. Breaching bail can carry a prison sentence of up to a year, if admitted or proved.
Stewart, was not present in court yesterday but pleas of not guilty to both bail breach charges were entered by his solicitor, Fiona MacDonald. Her client is due to stand trial on both counts, on October 14.
Stewart, a local businessman, who lives in Lower Dunbar Street, Wick, is scheduled to stand trial on the stalking charge, which he also denies, earlier, on August 19.
He faces two charges. The first alleges that he engaged in a course of conduct which caused Mrs Gray fear and alarm at the council service point and repeatedly followed, approached her and contacted her by telephone, e-mail and voice mail. He is further accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly sending text messages to Mrs Gray’s father, Clair Harper, Wick Academy’s president, at his home in Thurso Road, Wick. The offences are said to have occurred between August 1 and November 6, last year.
Stewart was chairman of the club's executive committee at the time but was subsequently his duties were assumed by club secretary Alan Farquhar.
The original date set for the trial, was April 17 when Ms MacDonald told the court then that Stewart’s phone had been returned to him contained information, she said might be “potentially valuable” to the defence case.
Sheriff Andrew Berry commented that unusual for a trial to be postponed on the day it was to proceed, but allowed it as an “exception to the rule and clearly in the interests of justice”.

Pair made heavy weather of fight

A FIGHT outside Thurso's Grove Lounge bar was a half-hearted affair... because the opponents were so drunk.
One of them, offshore worker William Munro, 37, admitted threatening or abusive behaviour and was fined £650.
David Barclay, prosecuting, said that what had triggered the confrontation on May 30, was not known. But an indication of their drunken state was that punches thrown were either glancing, or didn't make contact.
Munro, of Viewfield, Hill of Forss, said to be earning £50,00 a year (£50,000) had little recollection of events.
Sheriff Berry warned the accused that given his record, it was likely he would land in prison if he continued to consume drink to the extent he didn't know what he was doing.

Released pending further inquiry into assault

A Wick man is facing a charge of assault.
Mark Robin Aitken made no plea or declaration during his brief appearance, on petition.
The 31-year-old was released on bail by Sheriff Berry, pending further inquiry. The victim of the alleged assault is said to have been a man.

Helpful police assaulted in shoreline incident

POLICE officers got an unexpected reaction when they went to help a Wick man at the seashore near the town.
Connor Taylor, described as having been "well under the influence of drink", head-butted two of the officers and also bit one of them on both his arms and punched a third constable.
The 16-year-old admitted a charge of assault and had sentence deferred until August 8 for a background report.
The incident occurred at Wick's open air swimming pool, the North Bath, on April 4. The police had made their way to the shore following a report from a concerned member of the public.
The court heard that Taylor, who lives at The Children's Home, Northcote Street, Wick, was a local army cadet, who hoped to make a career for himself in the regular army.